It’s interesting to come across this online article (dated 7/11/14 by Andrew Mearns) asking fans to be patient with an injury to Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. All three of his sports docs recommended the pitcher try a platelet rich plasma injection (PRP) prior to opting for surgery. The story cites a research article from the American Journal of Sports Medicine (2013) that concludes: “The results of this study indicate that PRP is an effective option to successfully treat partial UCL tears of the elbow in athletes.” In cases of partial tears, patients are finding healing and relief from PRP injections. Dr. Bunyak and her PRP patients are thrilled when they return to their active pursuits, even if it isn’t pitching for the Yankees!
